Cody Chesnutt is like no one else

Tools

Atlanta-based Cody Chesnutt is the kind of artist who frustrates and fascinates — in equal measure — both critics and fans. His 2002 debut, The Headphone Masterpiece, roundly praised for its quality, was all the more remarkable for having been a lo-fi, one-man-band project. But Chesnutt would renounce many of the disc’s (arguably) sexist lyrics and points of view. The neo-soul/rock/r&b artist then went to ground for a decade before returning with the more mature — and musically superior — Landing on a Hundred. With that set, it seemed he had arrived. But five more years would pass before My Love Divine Degree. Deeply textured, idiosyncratic and less than immediate, the disc requires repeated listens to fully appreciate its virtues. Chesnutt’s music is informed by a wide array of styles, from reggae to hip-hop to gospel, but the alluring music he creates sounds like no one else.File next to: D’Angelo, Shuggie Otis